Method of manufacturing seamed cans.



F. EBERHART. METHOD 0F MANUFACTURING SEAMED CANS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTu 9. I9l2.

Patented July 27, 1915.

g .y im@ M nn STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

' FELIX EBERHART, OIF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAN COMPANY,

OF YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION F NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SEAMED CANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1915,

Application filed September 9, 1912. Serial No. 719,367.

` Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Manufacturing Seamed, Cans, 'of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to improvements in method of manufacturing seamed cans, and more particularly to the method of manufacturing inside lined or lacquered, double seamed cans.

The obj ect of the invention is to provide a method or process whiclconsists in providing a coating, layer or lm of'sealing or packing material within the joint formed between the can-body and the can end immediately prior to or even simultaneously with the seaming or joint forming operation, and while the body and end are in juxtaposition in the seaming machine. A

Another object of the invention is to provide a process of coating or lacquering can ends while the can bodies and ends are in the seaming machine and immediately prior to or simultaneously withv the seam forming operation.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a method wherein the interior of the can body may be provided with a protective coating while the can body is in the seaming machine in those instances where the can b'ody has not been previously provided with such protective coating; to utilize the lacquer or other material employed for coating the interior walls of the can body and can end as the sealing or packing compound between the end and the can o and while said material is in a more or less fluid, liquid or plastic condition.

The invention furthermore consists in the improvements in the steps and novel combinations of steps of the process as herein described or claimed.

In the drawing forming a part of this specication, Figure 1 is a part sectional, part plan view of a machine adapted to carry out some of the stepsof -my improved process, the same showing an inverted double seamer, one of the chucks of which is provided with a spraying nozzle for applying lacquer or other coating material to the interior walls of the can, and Fig. 2 illustrates a suitable form of apparatus for bakdy fiange,

ing, drying or hardening the lacquer or other coating material after .the same has been applied to the interior of the cans and the double seam formed.

This process is adapted to be used more particularly in the manufacture of cans in which the can bodies have been made from previously lacquered or coated sheets of vtin and provided with the usual seam anges, and to which are adapted tobe united can ends made from uncoated sheets of tin, the ends being also unprovided with the usual sealing compound or packing material on the seam iange, but it will be understood that the process may be used in the manufacture of seamed cans in which neither the can body nor the can end is provided with any protective coating prior to the seaming operation. I

In the drawing, A denotes a double seaming machine which, as shown, is of the inverted type, and provided with a double seaming roller 10 mounted on av cam-operated slide 11 and which is adapted to form a double seam between the ange 12 of acan end 13 and the flange 14 of a can body 15.

The can body and can end are first assembled with the end loosely applied to the body and both are then placed in the chucks of the scanning machine, lthese chucks, as shown in the drawing, comprising a lower, positively rotated, vertically movable chuck 16 and an upper, freely rotatable chuck 17 mounted on a thrust ball-bearing 18 on the end of a slidable, adjustable head 19, said head 19 being adapted to be adjusted for various heights of cans, as by kmeans of an adjusting screw 20. The head 19 is also provided with a spraying nozzle 21 which is adapted to project the lacquer or other coating material on either the can end or the inner walls of the can body or both, the jet or spray being regulated as by means of an adjustable valve 22. The lacquer or other coating material thus projected onto the can end and can body will flow into the joint between the can end and can body, and being in a liquid or more or less plastic condition, will serve as an excellent sealing material or packing compound for the seam. rI'he lacquer or other liquid coating material is supplied to the spray nozzle 21 from a tank (not shown) through a pipe` 23, and for forcing the material through the nozzle, compressed air is supplied from a suitable crank 27, rod 28 and bell crank 29 by meansI of a small projection or cam 30 on the seaming roller slide 1l, the valves being operated or opened-momentarily just prior to the engagement of the first seaming roller with the cam end flange, it being understood that the can body will at this time be rotating at a comparatively high speed, so that the coating material or lacquer will be projected l around the entire circumference of the can. Immediately after the can end or can body, or both, have been provided fwiththe coating material, or even during the application 'of said material, the seaming operation takes place, after which theh seamed' can may lbe placed upon a conveyer 31 and passed through a heating or drying oven 32 to dry, bake or harden the lacquer or other-coating material.

Although I have described and shown mechanism for applying the lacquer or coating material by means of a spraying nozzle, yet it will be evident, to those skilled` in the art, that the coating materialmay be applied by. any other well known method, and also that seams maybe made, between the can end and can body, other than double seams-nor 4do I wish to have my invention construed as limited to employing lacquer or xyother coating material which has to be dried or baked, except in so far as'defined -by the claims forming a part of this specifcation, since, as is well known, there are many coating compounds which are adapted to dry spontaneously or beflashed.

ith my improved process many advantages, as compared with former methods of seaming can bodies and can ends, are obtained, among which may be mentioned the following: The time formerly required for lacquering the can ends, used as the bottoms, and for applying the dope or packing material to the seaming flange is practically entirely saved, since the coating of the can end, which coating also serves as the sealing compound in the joint, is applied substantially simultaneously with the seaming oper ation. Not only is this time saved, but also the machines therefor, and consequently the floor space occupied by`vthe latter. Furthermore, the canends may be handled and fed with greater ease and rapidity from stacks, since the heads do not stick together, which has l formerly been a difliculty encountered in feeding sanitary can ends having the packing material previously flowed or placed on the can end seaming ange. Also the joint or seam is provided with the coating or sealing compound uniformly throughout the entire circumference of the joint, whereas, hitherto, in applying sealing compound or packing material to the seaming aange of can ends or heads, it has been found that the compound or dope, during the drying of the material, collects unevenly on the flange, resulting in the material being thick at some portions of the seam and practically` absent at other portions ofthe seam. Still another important result is obtained by employing my method. 'The lacquer or other coating material which is sprayed or otherwise applied to the can end or can end v and can body, generally carries highly volaheavy to obliterate and cover up any slight abrasions or scratches on the previously lacquered surface of the can bodyV whichf may have been caused by handling and paS-` sage of. the can body throughthe various body making and flanging machines. The coating material thus deposited is of course subjected to the same drying, vbaking or hardening step as the remainder of the coating material on the can end and in the seam, and the resulting finished can has a perfect interior, hard protective coating.

Many changes and variations may be made in carrying out my invention without departing from the spirit thereof," and all such changes and variations are contemplated as fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

1. The method of manufacturing seamed cans, which consists in the following steps -in the order named: assembling a can body having a seam-forming flange and can end in position ready for formingy the seam; applying seal-forming material at the joint between the body and end; and forming an interlocked, mechanical seam.

2. The method of manufacturing seamed cans, which consists in the following steps in the' order named; loosely assembling a flanged can body and can end in position ready for forming the seam, applying a layer of coating material in a liquid condition to the can end; and forming the seam and inclosing therein sufficient of the coating to pack the seam.

3. The method of manufacturing seamed cans, which consists in the following steps in the order named: loosely assembling 'a flanged can body and can end in position ready for forming the seam; applying a coating of material to the inside walls of position ready for forming the double seam;

then applying seal-forming material at the joint between the body and the end and cans whichiconsists in first loosely assemthen double seaming the can end and body together.

5. The method of manufacturing seamed cans which consists in first loosely assembling a flanged can body and can end inl position ready for forming a seam, then applying a layer of lacquer or other coating material to the can end, then forming the seam and inclosing therein suicient of the coating to pack the seam and finally baking or drying the coating material.

6. The method of manufacturing'seamed cans which consists in the. following steps in the order named: loosely assembling a flanged can body and can end in position ready for forming the seam; applying a layer of lacquer or other coating material to the interior of the can body and to the can end; forming a mechanical seam between the can end and -canbody and inclosing in the seam suiicient of the coating material to pack the seam; and baking or drying the coating material.

7. The method of manufacturing seamed cans which 'consists in first assembling a ianged can body and can end in position ready for forming the seam, then applying a layer of lacquer or other coating material in a liquid state to the can end and to the ljoint between the can end and can body and then seaming the can end and can body with an'interlocked mechanical seam.

8. The method of manufacturing seamed bling a anged can body and can end in position ready for forming the seam, then applying a coating of lacquer or other similar material in a liquid state to the entire interior surfaces of the body and can end and at the joint between the can end and can body, and finally mechanically seaming the end to the body.

9. The method of manufacturing seamed cans which consists in first loosely assembling a flanged can body and can end in position ready for forming the seam, then spraylng lacquer or other coating material containing a volatile substance on the can end, whereby deposits will be made on the sides of the can body, and thereafter roller seaming the end to the body, substantially as specilied.

10. The method of manufacturing double seamed cans which consists in first assembling a ianged can body and can end in position ready for forming the seam, then spraying lacquer or other coating material containin a Volatile substance on the can end and 1n the joint between the end and body, whereby the volatile substance will cause deposits on the sides of the body, and then double seaming the end and body, substantially as specified.

11. The method of manufacturing double seamed cans which consists in first assembling ,a flanged can body and can end in position ready for forming the seam, then spraying lacquer or other coating material containing a Volatile substance on the can end, and in the joint between the end and body, whereby the volatile substance will cause deposits on the sides of the body, then double seaming the can end and can body, and finally baking or drying the coating material.

seamed cans which consists in first loosely assembling a flanged can body and can end in position ready for forming the double seam, then applying lacquer or coating material in a liquid condition to the inside of the can body, to the can end and on the joint between the can end and the body, then double seaming the can end and can body and finally drying or baking the coating material.

13. The process 'of manufacturing inside lacquered, seamed cans whichv consists in rst loosely assembling an interiorly lacquered, flanged can body and an uncoated can end in position ready for forming the seam, then applying lacquer or other coating material to the can end and at the joint between the end and body, and thereafter roller seaming the end and body.

14. The method of manufacturing double seamed, interiorly lacquered cans which consists` in first assembling an interiorly lacquered, flanged can body and an uncoated can end in position ready for forming the double seam, then applying lacquer or other coating material in a liquid condition y to the can end and at the joint between the end and the body, and finally double seam- 

